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Read the press release here.

Met Could Charge Tourists Mandatory Admission Fee

By Shaye Weaver | April 26, 2017 5:12pm
 A mandatory admission fee could be introduced to create more revenue for the Met.
A mandatory admission fee could be introduced to create more revenue for the Met.
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UPPER EAST SIDE — The Metropolitan Museum of Art is considering charging out-of-town visitors a mandatory admission fee rather than a "suggested" donation to fill its multimillion-dollar deficit, according officials and a report by The New York Times.

Officials are considering charging the fee for those who don't live in New York City amid a financial tailspin that has put the museum $40 million in debt, the report said. The city-owned museum receives funding from the city every year that covers just 8 percent of its operating costs, the Times noted.

In February, the museum reportedly made plans to reduce its number of exhibits from 60 to 40 a year, as well as delay a $600 million expansion for its modern and contemporary art. Its director, Thomas P. Campbell, has been blamed for the museum's debt and plans to resign on June 30.

Tom Finkelpearl, the city’s commissioner of cultural affairs, told the Times that his office has discussed the new fee with the Met.

“Should we receive a formal proposal, we will consider it,” he told the paper.

The museum's admissions policy is one component of many that are "continuously under review and refinement," a Met spokeswoman told DNAinfo New York.

"The Met and the City are partners, and always in conversation on how The Met can continue to thrive and best serve all of New York City and beyond," she added. "While we have started preliminary discussions about our admissions policies, we have not submitted an official, detailed request."

Ben Sarle, a deputy press secretary for the Mayor's Office, said nothing official has been submitted to the city's Department of Cultural Affairs but that it is supportive of trying to make the museum more financially secure.

"The Met is one of our most beloved, historic New York cultural institutions, and we are ready to work with them to make sure they have the resources they need to thrive," he said.